We won’t interfere in Pakistan-India hockey matters: FIH

CEO Kelly Fairweather says the Champions Trophy incident is in the past for the international federation

The International Hockey Federation (FIH) CEO, Kelly Fairweather, said on Thursday that he is not going to interfere in the raging war of words going on between Pakistan and India about the Champions Trophy incident.

"We don't intend to sit between them. What we will be doing is meeting with the Pakistan Hockey Federation, it's new leadership and hopefully they will have a new approach," said Kelly Fairweather, while talking to reporters at Hockey India League (HIL) players auction, as quoted by IBNLive.

Hockey India president Narender Batra earlier said that no Pakistani player will be allowed to participate in the Hockey India League (HIL) until the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) apologised for the obscene gestures made by its players after the 4-3 win in the semi-final.

Read: PHF rejects India's demand for apology, asks FIH, AHF to take 'stern' action

However, former coach Shahnaz Sheikh was of the view that no apology was necessary and Pakistan should start their own league and invite players from India to participate in it.

Shahbaz Ahmed, the new secretary general of the PHF, said in an interview to APP that: “If they (India) have an issue with PHF they must have sent in written but this kind of conduct is totally intolerable.”

He also asked the FIH and Asian Hockey Federation to take action on the statement made by Batra but instead the international federation said that the incident was in the past.

"That incident, as far as FIH is concerned, is in the past. We took what we believe was the appropriate action. You heard Dr. Batra's view on this. We are not going to comment any further because, as I said, it is a discussion between the two federations,” said Fairweather.

Pakistan was not able to qualify for last year’s World Cup and they were unable to qualify for 2016 Rio Olympics as well. In light of this situation Fairweather said they wanted Pakistan back to its past grandeur.

"Pakistan playing its part in international hockey is absolutely essential," the FIH CEO said.

"These (Pakistan and India) are two powerhouses of our hockey, and they not playing the World Cup and Olympics is not good."

But FIH, who had taken action against three Pakistan players after the incident, said the matter is between the two boards now.

"Our part as international federation is to make sure that Pakistan gets back into international hockey as a force," Fairweather concluded.